Anecdotal Story 3/04/2023

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

anecdotal stories

Hard Lessons to Learn

So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” – 1 Samuel 19:23-24.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” – John 17:24.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. – Philippians 2:5-7.

Although he lived in the splendor of the magnificent Russian Winter Palace, gilded in gold and furnished with all extravagance, Czar Nicolas I slept in a narrow, hard bed. He also insisted that his son Alexander learn humility by sleeping in a similar bed. Perhaps Alexander would have learned more sufficient humility had he gone to the peasants, eaten their potato soup, and slept on their straw mats on cold, drafty floors. As Alexander II, he did express enough humility to free the serfs in 1861. But there was only so much humility he could learn from sleeping on a hard, narrow bed, while surrounded by ostentation that would one day be his.

To assume the lowliest humiliation, God sent the Person who had, with him, been the object of the greatest glory. Christ emptied himself of all the prerogatives of godhood and humbled himself to servanthood. Jesus proved that far from being a condition imposed from outside, humility arises from within in response to God’s call for service. For the highest possible responsibility, God chose the only One who could truly proclaim himself “humble in heart.”

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Courtesy of Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations by Virgil Hurley © 1995 by Word, Incorporated.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV © 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Saturday Prayer & Praise 3/04/2023

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Isaac Ambrose: Piercing Heaven – Puritan’s Prayers

Lord, I have not done my duty in my own family, among Christians, in the churches of Christ. I have not done what I promised. I have not served my generation or helped to build the building of Zion.

And now, Lord, what can I say?

Is my name written on the heart of Christ? If I had the whole world’s glory, if I had ten thousand worlds, and ten thousand lives, I would lay them all down, to have my poor trembling soul assured of this.

My thirst cannot be quenched, and my desire for Jesus is as greedy as the grave, with coals of fire and the hottest flame.

Lord, you have said you will wed me forever, so this is what I desire. Fulfill what you have spoken! It would break my heart if ever the covenant should be broken between me and you. I desire you, Lord; and the more I enjoy you, the more I desire you with an infinite, eternal, and everlasting desire.

Amen.

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Psalm 119 – Resh

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Scripture Text – Psalm 119

The emphasis in this the longest psalm, and the basic theme, is on the vital ministry and practical use of the Word of God in the inner spiritual life of God’s children. It describes how the Word enables us to grow in holiness and handle the persecutions and pressures that always accompany an obedient walk of faith.

The Word of God performs many wonderful ministries in the life of the devoted believer. If we delight in His Word, learn it, treasure it within, and obey what it says, the Lord will work in us and through us to accomplish great things for His glory! Circumstances may change, but God and His Word remain the same.

Resh – Strength for the Journey

Please read Psalm 119:153-160 for the background to this section.

Have you noticed that the writer became more urgent as he drew near the end of the psalm? The Hebrew alphabet was about to end, but his trials would continue, and he needed the help of the Lord. The last three stanzas all speak of persecution and trials, yet the writer still trusted the Lord. The Christian life is like the land of Canaan, “a land of hills and valleys” (Deuteronomy 11:11), and we cannot have mountaintops without also having valleys. The key phrase in this stanza is “revive me,” which means “give me life, lift me up and keep me going.” He had prayed this prayer before when looking back through the psalm, and the Lord had answered. The psalmist not only prayed but also gave reasons why the Lord should answer.

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Revive me, for you are my Redeemer. “Consider my affliction” is a request for the Lord to “see to” his needs. Abraham used this word when he answered his son’s question in Genesis 22:8, “God will provide,” in other words, “God will see to it that the sacrifice is provided.” Our wonderful Lord not only “sees” the need but can “see to” providing what is needed. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” – Psalm 34:15, (see also 1 Peter 3:12). The word “redeem” speaks of the kinsman redeemer who could rescue a family member in need, as Boaz rescued Ruth. (See Leviticus 25:23–34). In His incarnation, Jesus entered the human family and became our kinsman, and in the crucifixion, He paid the price to redeem us from sin, death, and hell. “Plead [defend] my cause” ties in with Jesus as our Kinsman Redeemer and also as our Surety, Mediator, and Advocate, who represents us before the throne of God (1 John 2:1–2). In our affliction, it is comforting to know that the Son of God intercedes for us, hears our prayers, and meets our needs.

Revive me, for you are merciful. If we prayed on the basis of our own merit, God could never answer, but we come to the Father in the name of the Son (John 14:14; 15:16) and with the help of the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18; Romans 8:26–27). God in His grace gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy He does not give us what we do deserve. His throne is a throne of grace where grace and mercy are abundantly available to us (Hebrews 4:16). The psalmist was still disgusted with the way the unbelievers lived, but their bad example did not change his own convictions.

Revive me, for your Word can be trusted. “The entirety of Your word is truth,” and this means all of it can be trusted. The totality of God’s written revelation is not just true—it is truth. To love the Word is to obey it, and to obey it is to receive life from it. The Bible is not a magic book that conveys divine life to anyone who picks it up and reads it. God’s living Word communicates His life and power to those who read it, meditate on it, and obey it because they love God and His Word. When Jesus raised the dead, it was through speaking the Word (Luke 7:11–17; 8:40–56; John 11:38–44; see also John 5:24), and His Word gives us life today when we find ourselves in the dust.

To Be Continued

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Adapted and modified excerpts from Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Exultant, “Be” Commentary Series.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Food For Thought 3/03/2023

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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LeTourneau’s Bitter Experience

R. G. LeTourneau, the Christian earth-moving machinery manufacturer who died in 1969, failed often in the earlier years of his career.

Ironically, though, he made $35,000 profit one year in the middle of the depression. Puffed up with pride, he withheld the payment of his $5,000 annual pledge to the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in order to reinvest it in the business and give the Lord an even greater share the following year when he anticipated a net profit of $100,000.

God was not mocked by LeTourneau’s withholding of his tithe from the storehouse. Within a year, his anticipated $100,000 profit was turned into a $100,000 loss, and brought the erring servant to his knees. It was a thoroughly chastened and repentant LeTourneau who by much courage and faith pledged not only $5,000 to his church for the year he skipped, but also the same amount for the following year—in the face of a $100,000 debt and no money for payroll. On top of that, his bookkeeper was ready to quit.

From that point on, LeTourneau’s fortune changed and within four years, he and his wife founded the LeTourneau Foundation comprised of 90 percent of the stocks of LeTourneau Corp., the earnings of which financed evangelical Christian work world-wide. At one time, this foundation was worth $40 million.

LeTourneau often said: “It is not how much money I give to God, but how much of God’s money I keep for myself.”

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Luke 10:20

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Friday March 3, 2023

Luke 10:20
“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you,
but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Here we hear about the Christian’s joy in doing the work of the Lord.

All Christian work is a fruit of joy, of the joy in God which is the precious possession of souls that are saved.

Jesus rejoiced with the seventy when they returned, filled with the joy of accomplishment. Jesus desires happy co-laborers.

Now, we are His co-workers. And we have reason to be happy. We rejoice when we think of the men and women whom the Lord sent out to the mission fields, to whom He gave authority to bring the message of God to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. We rejoice to think of the many here at home who work, sacrifice, pray, and endure hardship in order that the great cause of missions may go forward among our people.

And we rejoice because of all the work that is being done for the salvation of our own beloved people, the self-sacrificing, many-sided, and purposive work which is being done from day to day.

We dare believe also that Jesus rejoices with us.

But it is His desire to give us, as He did His disciples that day, a gentle but earnest admonition: Let not Christian work nor the fruits thereof overshadow the life, the life in God.

For there is a danger that this may take place.

With all of us. Great danger, too. In all Christian work.

Our Word for today also raises two important questions for us to answer:

Are we joyful workers?

Are we happy because we are successful in our work, or do we work because we are happy? If the latter is true, we work with rejoicing whether we succeed in our work or apparently fail. Then we appreciate what Jesus meant when He said: “Freely ye have received; freely give.”

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O. Hallesby, God’s Word for Today: A Daily Devotional for the Whole Year, translator Clarence J. Carlsen (Augsburg, 1994)
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Reflecting With God 3/03/2023

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Thinking, praying, reading, studying the Bible – when we do these things, we are reflecting on the Word of God. To reflect is to contemplate and/or consider, and God wants us to deeply reflect on His Word so that we can better understand Him.

Friday Reflecting

For I am Your servant. – Psalm 143:12.

Every day let us renew the consecration to God’s service; every day let us in His strength, pledge ourselves afresh to do His will, even in the veriest trifle, and to turn aside from anything that may displease Him. . . . He does not bid us bear the burdens of to-morrow, next week, or next year. Every day we are to come to Him in simple obedience and faith, asking help to keep us, and aid us through that day’s work; and to-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, through years of long to-morrows, it will be but the same thing to do; leaving the future always in God’s hands, sure that He can care for it better than we. Blessed trust! that can thus confidingly say: “This hour is mine with its present duty, the rest is God’s, and when it comes, His presence will come with it.”
~ MADAM GUYON

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Daily Prayer & Praise 3/03/2023

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Lord, hear our prayer:

Father in Heaven we pray for families whose love is being destroyed by jealousy, where people expect loving relationships simply to happen without any effort or commitment on their part each day. May the love of God renew their hope and their striving for peace. We pray for children who suffer the consequences of their parents’ failure to love and to care; for children whose lives are suffering the results of physical, mental or sexual abuse. May the caring, healing hand of Christ be upon them. Know God hears all our prayers, in Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

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Some minor adaptation on some prayers.
David Clowes, 500 Prayers For All Occasions © 2003 by David C Cook Publishing
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Psalm 119 – Qoph

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Scripture Text – Psalm 119

The emphasis in this the longest psalm, and the basic theme, is on the vital ministry and practical use of the Word of God in the inner spiritual life of God’s children. It describes how the Word enables us to grow in holiness and handle the persecutions and pressures that always accompany an obedient walk of faith.

The Word of God performs many wonderful ministries in the life of the devoted believer. If we delight in His Word, learn it, treasure it within, and obey what it says, the Lord will work in us and through us to accomplish great things for His glory! Circumstances may change, but God and His Word remain the same.

Qoph – A Primer on Prayer

Please read Psalm 119:145-152 for the background to this section.

The writer prayed throughout this entire psalm, but in these verses he concentrated on prayer and cried out to God day and night. From his experience, we receive some basic instructions about successful prayer.

Pray wholeheartedly. We must seek God with our whole heart and obey Him with our whole heart. John Bunyan had stated, “In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” In the Old Testament sanctuary, the golden altar of incense represented intercessory prayer (Exodus 30:1–10). The special incense was burned on the altar, and the fragrant smoke rising heavenward pictured prayer going up to the Lord (Psalm 141:1–2; Revelation 8:3–4). The devotion of the heart is what “ignites” our prayers and enables us to present our requests to the Lord. The phrase “I will keep” may be translated “that I may keep.” The psalmist was not bargaining with God (“Answer my prayers and I will obey you”) but dedicating himself to God to obey Him no matter how He answers his prayers. Before we can pray as we ought, we must pray for ourselves that God will give us a heart ignited by the fire of the Spirit.

Pray without ceasing according to the Word. Two important elements of successful prayer are involved here. The first is that we constantly cultivate an attitude of prayer and remain in communion with the Lord. At morning and during the watches of the night (sunset to 10 p.m., 10–2, 2 until dawn), the psalmist prayed to the Lord. Jesus called this “abiding” (John 15:1–11). To “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) does not mean to walk around muttering prayers. It means to “keep the receiver off the hook” so that nothing comes between the Father and us.

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The second element in successful prayer is the Word of God, for apart from God’s Word, we cannot know God’s will. Each verse in this section mentions the Scriptures and the writer’s devotion to God’s Word. We must balance the Word and prayer in our devotional life and ministry, for all Bible and no prayer means light without heat, but all prayer and no Bible could result in zeal without knowledge. Samuel emphasized both the Word and prayer in 1 Samuel 12:23 and so did Jesus in John 15:7. The spiritual leaders in the early church gave themselves to prayer and the Word (Acts 6:4). When we meditate on the Word, the Father speaks to us, and when we pray, we speak to the Father. We need both instruction and intercession if we are to be balanced children of God.

Pray as an act of love. This verse combines both love and law, for if we love the Lord, we will keep His commandments. Too often we think of prayer as an emergency measure, rushing into God’s presence and crying for help. But what would you think of children who spoke to their parents only when they needed something? Prayer is more than asking; prayer is loving. If we love the Word of God, we must also love the God of the Word and express that love to Him. To tell Him we love Him only because we want to receive something is to practice prayer on a juvenile level. When we share our love with the Lord, we receive new life from Him.

Pray with your eyes open. As he prayed, the psalmist saw his enemies drawing near, so he asked for God to draw near to help him. The familiar phrase “watch and pray” goes back to when Nehemiah was leading the people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and restoring the gates. The enemy did not want the holy city to be rebuilt, so they used fear, deceit, and every kind of ruse to hinder the work. What was Nehemiah’s defense? “Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.” – Nehemiah 4:9. Jesus (Matthew 26:41; Mark 13:33), Paul (Colossians 4:2), and Peter (1 Peter 4:7) commanded God’s people to “watch and pray,” to be on guard and pray with intelligence and alertness. We are soldiers in a battle and we dare not go to sleep while on duty.

To Be Continued

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Adapted and modified excerpts from Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Exultant, “Be” Commentary Series.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Food For Thought 3/02/2023

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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The Colgate Story

A lad of 16 years named William left home to seek his fortune, all his possessions tied in a bundle carried in his hand. He met an old canal-boat captain. William told him his father was too poor to keep him and the only trade he knew was soap and candle making.

The old man then kneeled and prayed earnestly for the boy and advised: “Someone will soon be the leading soap-maker in New York. It can be you as well as someone else. Be a good man, give your heart to Christ, pay the Lord all that belongs to Him, make an honest soap; give a full pound, and I’m certain you’ll be a prosperous and rich man.”

Into the city, he remembered the captain’s words, and though poor and lonesome, he united with a church. The first dollar earned, he gave 1/10 to God. Ten cents of every dollar were sacred to the Lord. Having regular employment, he soon became a partner and later sole owner of the business. He made an honest soap, gave a full pound and instructed his bookkeeper to open an account with the Lord of 1/10 of all income. The business grew, so he gave 2/10, 3/10, 4/10, 5/10 and finally he gave all his income.

This is the story of William Colgate, who has given millions to the Lord’s cause.

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Have You Felt the Hurt of the Lord?

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Thursday March 2, 2023

John 21:17
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”

Have you felt the hurt of the Lord to the uncovered quick, the place where the real sensitiveness of your life is lodged? The devil never hurts there, neither sin nor human affection hurts there, nothing goes through to that place but the word of God. “Peter was grieved, because Jesus said unto him the third time. . . .” He was awakening to the fact that in the real true centre of his personal life he was devoted to Jesus, and he began to see what the patient questioning meant. There was not the slightest strand of delusion left in Peter’s mind, he never could be deluded again. There was no room for passionate utterance, no room for exhilaration or sentiment. It was a revelation to him to realize how much he did love the Lord, and with amazement he said—“Lord, Thou knowest all things.” Peter began to see how much he did love Jesus; but he did not say—‘Look at this or that to confirm it.’ Peter was beginning to discover to himself how much he did love the Lord, that there was no one in heaven above or upon earth beneath beside Jesus Christ; but he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord came. The Lord’s questions always reveal me to myself.

The patient directness and skill of Jesus Christ with Peter! Our Lord never asks questions until the right time. Rarely, but probably once, He will get us into a corner where He will hurt us with His undeviating questions, and we will realize that we do love Him far more deeply than any profession can ever show.

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Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for the Year (Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering, 1986)
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Reflecting With God 3/02/2023

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Thinking, praying, reading, studying the Bible – when we do these things, we are reflecting on the Word of God. To reflect is to contemplate and/or consider, and God wants us to deeply reflect on His Word so that we can better understand Him.

Thursday Reflecting

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! – Psalm 139:17.

When a holy thought lights suddenly upon you, which hath no connection with any antecedent business in your mind, receive it as a messenger from heaven, and the rather because it is a stranger. You know not but you may entertain an angel—yea, even the Holy Spirit.
~ CHARNOCK

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Daily Prayer & Praise 3/02/2023

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Lord, hear our prayer:

Lord, forgive us our daily acts of faithlessness, the anxieties that cripple our lives and the sense of hopelessness that hinders our growth. Forgive our fear which prevents us from speaking out or from telling the good news of Jesus. Forgive us our weakness which causes us to let you down, and our bitterness which makes it harder for others to find you. Forgive us our hard-heartedness which crushes hope for our neighbors and our self-centeredness which causes you pain. Take hold of our lives all over again. Make us a source of hope, joy and confidence for those who need our faithfulness, and by your Spirit enable us to be beacons of your light and love.

Amen.

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Some minor adaptation on some prayers.
David Clowes, 500 Prayers For All Occasions © 2003 by David C Cook Publishing
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Psalm 119 – Tsadhe (Tsadde)

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Scripture Text – Psalm 119

The emphasis in this the longest psalm, and the basic theme, is on the vital ministry and practical use of the Word of God in the inner spiritual life of God’s children. It describes how the Word enables us to grow in holiness and handle the persecutions and pressures that always accompany an obedient walk of faith.

The Word of God performs many wonderful ministries in the life of the devoted believer. If we delight in His Word, learn it, treasure it within, and obey what it says, the Lord will work in us and through us to accomplish great things for His glory! Circumstances may change, but God and His Word remain the same.

Tsadhe (Tsadde) – In God We Trust

Please read Psalm 119:137-144 for the background to this section.

The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to implant faith in our hearts (Romans 10:17), and the more we live in God’s Word, the stronger our faith will become. Some people have no faith (Mark 4:40), others have little faith (Matthew 8:26; 14:31), and a few have great faith (Matthew 8:10; 15:28). Like a mustard seed, faith has life in it, and if the seed is planted and cultivated, it will grow and bear fruit (Matthew 17:20). The message in this section of the psalm is that you can depend on the Word of God, so—have faith!

God’s Word is trustworthy no matter what people do. The psalmist had worn himself out trying to convince people to trust God’s Word (see Psalm 69:9; John 2:12), but they ignored both him and the Scriptures. He must have felt that his ministry had failed, but he had been faithful even as the Word is faithful. God and His Word are righteous and what He says is right. His Word is fully trustworthy. Though intellectual giants may attack it and even ridicule it, the Word stands and will be here long after they are dead and their books have been forgotten. People may sin and die, but God’s righteousness and righteous Word remains.

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God’s Word is trustworthy no matter what people say. Over many centuries, the Scriptures have been thoroughly tested in the fires of persecution and criticism, the way a goldsmith tests precious metals (Psalms 12:6–7; 18:30), and the Word has been found pure. One of the joys of the Christian life is to find new promises in the Word, test them in daily life, and find them trustworthy. The enemy wants to forget the Word, but we remember the Word and depend on it. The world may look upon God’s people as “small and despised,” but when you stand on God’s promises, you are a giant.

God’s Word is trustworthy regardless of how you feel. You may experience trouble and distress, as did the psalmist, and still find delight in God’s truth. Our feelings change but God’s Word never changes. God’s Word is not only true, but it is truth (John 17:17). The Word of God is truth, the Son of God is truth (John 14:6), and the Spirit of God is truth (1 John 5:6). The Spirit of truth wrote the Word of truth, and that Word reveals the Son of God. When your feelings deceive you into concluding that it is not worth it to serve the Lord, immediately turn to the Scriptures and delight in your Lord.

God’s Word is trustworthy no matter how long you live. When we read the Word to ourselves, we see words in ink on paper. When we read the Word aloud, we hear puffs of sound that quickly disappear. Paper and ink and puffs of sound may not seem very lasting, but the Word of God is eternal and fixed forever. To build your life on God’s Word means to participate in eternity (Matthew 7:24–29; 1 John 2:17). It is not the length of life but the depth of life that counts, and depth comes from laying hold of God’s Word and obeying it. Jesus spent only thirty-three years on this earth, and His public ministry lasted only three years, yet He accomplished a work that is eternal.

To Be Continued

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Adapted and modified excerpts from Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Exultant, “Be” Commentary Series.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Food For Thought 3/01/2023

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Rockefeller’s Testimony

Yes, I tithe, and I would like to tell you how it all came about. I had to begin work as a small boy to help support my mother. My first wages amounted to $1.50 per week. The first week after I went to work, I took the $1.50 home to my mother and she held the money in her lap and explained to me that she would be happy if I would give a tenth of it to the Lord.

I did, and from that week until this day I have tithed every dollar God has entrusted to me. And I want to say, if I had not tithed the first dollar I made I would not have tithed the first million dollars I made. Tell your readers to train the children to tithe, and they will grow up to be faithful stewards of the Lord.
~ John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

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Psalm 27:14

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Wednesday March 1, 2023

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the Lord.

How often this is said in the Bible, how little understood! It is what the old monk calls the “practice of the presence of God.” It is the habit of prayer. It is the continued communion that not only asks, but receives. People often ask us to pray for them and we have to say, “Why, God has answered our prayer for you, and you must now take the answer. It is awaiting you, and you must take it by waiting on the Lord.”

This it is that renews the strength, until we mount up with wings as eagles, run and are not weary, walk and are not faint. Our hearts are too vast to take in His fulness at a single breath. We must live in the atmosphere of His presence till we absorb His very life. This is the secret of spiritual depth and rest, of power and fulness, of love and prayer, of hope and holy usefulness. “Wait, I say, on the Lord.”

I am waiting in communion at the blessed mercy seat,
      I am waiting, sweetly waiting, on the Lord;
I am drinking of His fulness; I am sitting at His feet;
      I am hearkening to the whispers of His word.

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A. B. Simpson, Days of Heaven upon Earth: A Year Book of Scripture Texts and Living Truths (Christian Alliance Pub. Co., 1897)
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Reflecting With God 3/01/2023

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Thinking, praying, reading, studying the Bible – when we do these things, we are reflecting on the Word of God. To reflect is to contemplate and/or consider, and God wants us to deeply reflect on His Word so that we can better understand Him.

Wednesday Reflecting

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! – Psalm 139:17.

The book of Nature is an expression of the thoughts of God. We have God’s terrible thoughts in the thunder and lightning; God’s loving thoughts in the sunshine and the breeze; God’s bounteous, prudent, careful thoughts in the waving harvest. We have God’s brilliant thoughts, which are beheld from mountain-top and valley; and we have God’s most sweet and pleasant thoughts of beauty in the little flowers that blossom at our feet.
~ SPURGEON

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Daily Prayer & Praise 3/01/2023

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Lord, hear our prayer:

Lord, we give you thanks for the truth of your word in the Bible; for the stories of men and women who were chosen and called, and who served you; for all teachers and preachers and for biblical scholars who have brought the meaning and the joy of the Bible alive for us today. Thank you that the Bible is not simply a record of things that happened long ago, but that you still speak to people today through your word. We are filled with gratitude for the way you have spoken to us through your word at particular moments in our lives. Thank you that Jesus is always your word of hope to us.

Amen.

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Some minor adaptation on some prayers.
David Clowes, 500 Prayers For All Occasions © 2003 by David C Cook Publishing
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Psalm 119 – Pe

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Scripture Text – Psalm 119

The emphasis in this the longest psalm, and the basic theme, is on the vital ministry and practical use of the Word of God in the inner spiritual life of God’s children. It describes how the Word enables us to grow in holiness and handle the persecutions and pressures that always accompany an obedient walk of faith.

The Word of God performs many wonderful ministries in the life of the devoted believer. If we delight in His Word, learn it, treasure it within, and obey what it says, the Lord will work in us and through us to accomplish great things for His glory! Circumstances may change, but God and His Word remain the same.

Pe – A Chain Reaction

Please read Psalm 119:129-136 for the background to this section.

This section begins with the wonder of God’s Word and ends with the weeping of the writer because the arrogant disobey the Word. Just as love and hate and joy and affliction can exist in the same heart, so can awe and anguish. In fact, when we begin to see the beauty and wonder of the Scriptures, we also begin to understand the ugliness of sin and the cheapness of what the world has to offer. This section describes a “spiritual chain reaction” in the life of the psalmist, one that can occur in our lives if we ponder the wonder of God’s Word.

Wonder leads to obedience. People obey God’s Word for different reasons, some because of fear of punishment, others to secure blessings, and still others because they love God and want to please Him. The psalmist stood in awe at the wonder of God’s Word—its harmony, beauty, perfection, practicality, power, and revelations. The longer I read and study the Bible, the more wonderful it becomes, and a God who wrote a book that wonderful deserves my obedience. To obey the Word is to become part of that wonder, to experience power and spiritual transformation in our lives.

Obedience leads to understanding. The light of the Word comes into our hearts and minds and brings spiritual insight and understanding (2 Corinthians 4:1–6). The word “entrance” is translated “unfolding” in the New American Standard Bible and the New International Version; it means “disclosure” and “opening up” as in Luke 24:32 and 35. When Spirit-led teachers and preachers “open up” the Word, then the light of God’s truth shines forth and brings about spiritual transformation (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).

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Understanding leads to deeper desire. As a suffocating person pants for air or a thirsty person for water, so the child of God pants for the Word of God, and nothing else will satisfy. “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” – Job 23:12. When we lose our desire for God’s Word, then we are vulnerable to the substitutes the world has to offer (Isaiah 55:1–2).

Desire leads to love for God. Just as children long to share the love of their parents, so the child of God experiences God’s love through the Word (John 14:21–24). To love God’s name is to love God, for His name reveals all that He is. The psalmist is here claiming the covenant promises that the Lord gave to the nation of Israel (Psalm 69:36). Had Israel loved the Lord and kept the terms of the covenant, God would have blessed them and exhibited to them His power and mercy.

God’s love leads to guidance and freedom. When we experience the love of God in our hearts, we keep His commandments (John 14:15), and obedience to His commandments sets us free from the slavery of sin (Romans 6). The word “dominion” means “autocratic rule,” but sin is not supposed to have dominion over us (Romans 6:12–16). But there is more: we are also set free from the oppression of people and the enslavement it can bring. When you are the servant of Jesus Christ, you are free from slavery to people. “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” – 1 Corinthians 7:23.

Freedom in Christ brings us God’s blessing. When God hides His face from His people, He is disciplining them (Psalms 13:1; 80:3–7), but the shining of His face upon them is a sign of His blessing (Psalms 4:6; 67:1; Numbers 6:25). To seek His face is to seek His blessing. As we walk with the Lord in freedom, we walk in the light and have nothing to hide. But enjoying His freedom and blessing does not eliminate the burden we carry because of the wickedness in the world. A broken heart and a blessed heart can exist in the same person at the same time. Jeremiah wept over the sins of a nation about to be destroyed (Jeremiah 9:1, 18; 13:17; Lamentations 1:16), and Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they had rejected Him (Luke 19:41–44). The apostle Paul wept over lost souls (Romans 9:1–3) as well as over professed believers in the church who were living for the world and the flesh (Philippians 3:17–21). If our enjoyment of God’s Word and God’s gracious blessings has truly reached our hearts, then we ought to have a burden for the lost and want to try to reach them for Christ.

To Be Continued

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Adapted and modified excerpts from Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Exultant, “Be” Commentary Series.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Food For Thought 2/28/2023

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Quaker Oats

Henry P. Crowell, affectionately called “The autocrat of the Breakfast Table,” contracted tuberculosis when a boy and couldn’t go to school. After hearing a sermon by Dwight L. Moody, young Crowell prayed, “I can’t be a preacher, but I can be a good businessman. God, if You will let me make money, I will use it in Your service.”

Under the doctor’s advice Crowell worked outdoors for seven years and regained his health. He then bought the little run-down Quaker Mill at Ravanna, Ohio. Within ten years Quaker Oats was a household word to millions. Crowell also operated the huge Perfection Stove Company.

For over forty years Henry P. Crowell faithfully gave 60 to 70 percent of his income to God’s causes, having started out small.

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Particular Redemption

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Roland Ledoux

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Tuesday February 28, 2023

Matthew 22:28
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.”

See the Saviour’s limbs, how they quiver! Every bone has been put out of joint by the dashing of the cross into that socket! How he weeps! How he sighs! How he sobs! Indeed, how at last he shrieks in agony, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” O sun, no wonder thou didst shut thine eye, and look no longer upon a deed so cruel! O rocks! no wonder that ye did melt and rend your hearts with sympathy, when your Creator died! Never man suffered as this man suffered. Even death itself relented, and many of those who had been in their graves arose and came into the city. This however, is but the outward. Believe me, brethren, the inward was far worse. What our Saviour suffered in his body was nothing, compared with what he endured in his soul. You cannot guess, and I cannot help you to guess, what he endured within. Suppose for one moment—to repeat a sentence I have often used—suppose a man who has passed into hell—suppose his eternal torment could all be brought into one hour; and then suppose it could be multiplied by the number of the saved, which is a number past all human enumeration. Can you now think what a vast aggregate of misery there would have been in the sufferings of God’s people, if they had been punished through all eternity? And recollect that Christ had to suffer an equivalent for all the hells of all his redeemed. I can never express that thought better than by using those oft-repeated words: it seemed as if hell was put into his cup; he seized it, and, “At one tremendous draught of love, he drank damnation dry.” So that there was nothing left of all the pangs and miseries of hell for his people ever to endure.

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C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 1) (Day One Publications, 1998)
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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